The Research-Based

Argument Essay

at Home

This unit of study aims to move you dramatically forward with your argument skills - in writing most of all, but also in speaking and critical thinking. The overall goal of this unit of study is to learn how to be more persuasive and more analytic, to weigh evidence, to follow lines of logic, and draw evidenced-based conclusions. The hope is that you will use your newfound skills of critical thinking and persuasion to do good in the world. There will be work, therefore, to help you become accustomed to listening to others, acknowledge complexity, suspend judgement, evaluate evidence, and imagine things not the way they are, but the way they might be, so that your opinions reflect an informed, fair perspective.

[ January 17-20]

Entertaining Contrary Views: Suspend Closure and Be Open-Minded

Writers, I talked to you today about choosing the kind of thinker you want to be. Remember I said that when someone with a view that is different than yours approaches you, you can be the kind of person who stands with your arms crossed, your face stern, your back up? We all have people in our lives who listen to our ideas like that, and I think none of us like it very much when we feel as if our listener’s mind is made up before we even open our mouths.

I’m going to ask you to read an article about chocolate milk that argues the opposite of what you believe, and I’m going to ask you to be a respectful, open-minded listener. Even if you really can’t for the life of you imagine any view about chocolate milk other than your own, try your very hardest to be an open-minded listener. Make yourself say things back to the author like, “Good point!” and “That makes sense,” and “I see what you mean.”

This will mean that you end up taking notes on the side of this argument that will probably not be the side you argue. Though who knows, you might even end up finding your thinking gets changed. You can read the articles you already started or others. If you have Internet at home, you might watch some of the videos. The links are to the right!

THE RESEARCH-BASED ARGUMENT ESSAY TEXT SET BIBLIOGRAPHY CHOCOLATE MILK

The Many Benefits of Chocolate Milk

Schools May Ban Milk Over Added Sugar

Flavored Milk Advertorial

Claire's Notes: Using Post–its to Sort Information on a T–Chart 1

Planning for Next Steps in Writing

Tonight, your homework is to give yourself an assignment. Decide on a strategy you think you should use next to take your work another step farther and then record that strategy at the top of your notebook page in a self-assignment box or a to-do box. Then get started doing that work!

To think about what you need to do next, it will help if you recall what you know about the writing process. Writers say that the writing process is a cycle and that writers are always cycling between rehearsal, drafting, and revision. Think about the stage of the writing process that you’re embarking on now, and think about what you know that writers do at that stage. Then get started!

Claire's bare-bones flash draft

Kevin supports his reasons with some evidence

Sophia pulls information directly from the text, copying it almost entirely word for word

This revision conveys the important information without taking it directly from the text

[ January 23-27]

Practicing Identifying What It Looks like when Writing Meets Specific Goals

Writers, Cecilia's essay meets many sixth-grade goals. I’m also including the goals checklist. Will you find examples of where the text I’m giving you matches the sixth-grade goals and make a note? Later in this unit, I’m going to give you this same page of goals (as well as a page of fifth-grade goals) on sticky labels, and I’m going to ask you to annotate your own essay. For now, my hope is that practicing this with someone else’s writing will help you get a clear goal in mind for the work you aim to do in your letters.

Cecilia’s essay demonstrating sixth–grade standards 1

Clair's second letter

[ January 30-31]

Introducing Information and Naming Sources

For homework tonight, take some time to add more information into your letter, including direct quotations as well as other kinds of information. Will you also reread your draft of your letter and make sure that you have inserted identifying information that provides a bit of relevant information on all the sources of your quotations as well as any other information you paraphrased? As you do this, keep in mind that it’s not just people who need to be introduced. If you know something about the newspapers or magazines or websites that you are referencing, you can also add in that sort of detail as well.

Kennedy's letter

Itzel's draft

These students broadened the context

3 This group introduced the source

Lucas's draft

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